Dunlap wins in Panama
BY Bruce Young | Web.com Tour | 2008 Movistar Panama Championship | Round Four | 28 Jan 2008
44-year-old Scott Dunlap today won the Movistar Panama Championship and in doing so has made the perfect start in his quest to get back to the PGA Tour in 2009 after last playing at the top level in 2002.
Dunlap’s final round of 71 saw him win by one over India’s Arjun Atwal and Jeff Klauk, the latter of whom who produced the equal best final round of 69.
Atwal and Chris Smith, who came in to the final round in first and second places respectively, both struggled on the final day, each recording rounds of 74 to cost themselves a chance of winning the season opener.
Dunlap has played the Nationwide Tour in each of the last four seasons attempting to regain his PGA Tour status but he has struggled to do so. Today he has given himself the best possible start in his bid to do so this year. Dunlap won many events internationally early in his career as he looked to develop his game to the point where he could play the PGA Tour. He eventually did so in 1996 and has played that tour off and on since.
The best of the Australasians were Grant Waite and Jarrod Lyle, who finished in a share of 6th with Waite moving from the cut line on Friday evening to near winning contention by tournament’s end. His rounds of 66 and 70 surpassed anything else produced over the weekend.
Lyle started the final round with a chance of winning a professional event for the first occasion but after a birdie start he fell away to finish 6th. It was a good start to the season despite the disappointing last round.
Greg Chalmers finished 8th, Kim Felton and Phil Tataurangi 41st and Scott Gardiner 54th.
The Nationwide Tour moves north to Mexico for the Mexico Open in Morelia, Mexico.
